national football leagueNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Stories from Michigan Radio.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94national football leagueWed, 30 Nov 2016 10:57:37 +0000national football leaguehttp://michiganradio.org
Stateside Staff From a band kid growing up in Florida to a fearsome offensive tackle who played 18 seasons in the NFL, including 11 years with the Detroit Lions, Lomas Brown certainly has a story to tell. He was named to the Pro Bowl for seven straight seasons. And he got a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brown first came to Michigan when he was drafted by the Lions in 1985. Despite the snow and cold winters, he’s still here in the Detroit area. His new memoir, co-authored with Mike Isenberg, is titled, If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Lions: Stories from the Detroit Lions Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box. From band kid to All-Pro lineman, former Lion Lomas Brown looks back in new memoirhttp://michiganradio.org/post/band-kid-all-pro-lineman-former-lion-lomas-brown-looks-back-new-memoir
29005 as http://michiganradio.orgTue, 29 Nov 2016 21:36:56 +0000From band kid to All-Pro lineman, former Lion Lomas Brown looks back in new memoirJohn U. Bacon Last week, more than 4,000 people crammed into Chicago’s redundantly named Auditorium Theater to watch NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announce the names of 256 players. Two-hundred-thousand more watched the action on big TVs in Grant Park. I’m always amazed at the attention the NFL draft attracts. This year, more than three million Americans watched a middle-aged white guy – also known as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell – walk up to a podium, open an envelope, and announce the name of a football team, followed by the name of a football player they planned to hire. Then everybody waited 10 minutes for the commissioner to walk out again, say another name, then walk back -- kind of like the way a coo-coo clock works. They repeated this 256 times, over three days. I am not making this up. More than 4,000 people crammed into Chicago’s redundantly named Auditorium Theater to see this. 200,000 more watched the action on big TVs in Grant Park. Why? To cheer or boo each time the coo-coo bird –The NFL Draft is insanely boring... except when it's nothttp://michiganradio.org/post/nfl-draft-insanely-boring-except-when-its-not
26246 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 06 May 2016 13:02:14 +0000The NFL Draft is insanely boring... except when it's notJohn U. Bacon This week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Rams would be allowed to move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles. I realize you might not care, but you should, because we’re the ones paying for it – again. The Rams are moving – and you're picking up the tabhttp://michiganradio.org/post/rams-are-moving-and-youre-picking-tab
24961 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 22 Jan 2016 12:00:00 +0000The Rams are moving – and you're picking up the tabThe Associated PressThe struggling Detroit Lions have shaken up the front office. Lions president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew were fired on Thursday. Team owner Martha Firestone Ford announced the moves and did not take questions from reporters. Detroit Lions owner fires the team's president and GMhttp://michiganradio.org/post/detroit-lions-owner-fires-teams-president-and-gm
24097 as http://michiganradio.orgThu, 05 Nov 2015 20:29:46 +0000Detroit Lions owner fires the team's president and GMStateside StaffThe Lions have won only one game this year, and in their most recent game, Matt Stafford suffered 13 hits, seven sacks, and the Lions went from a 17-6 lead over Minnesota to a 28-19 loss. Bacon says to the Ford family's credit, they've stayed out of the way as the team struggles. "They're pretty much everything you want in owners except an inability to hire the right coach," he says. The Lions can't get it right, and John U. Bacon says bad coaching is a big reasonhttp://michiganradio.org/post/lions-cant-get-it-right-and-john-u-bacon-says-bad-coaching-big-reason
23967 as http://michiganradio.orgMon, 26 Oct 2015 20:33:16 +0000The Lions can't get it right, and John U. Bacon says bad coaching is a big reasonStateside Staff Superbowl 49 has passed and much of the resulting conversation has revolved around not the game itself but instead its breakout star: Left Shark. Michigan Radio sport commentator John U. Bacon says he's relieved that at least this new topic has allowed the discussion of “deflategate” to dissipate. "Deflategate was the most overblown issue of all time," says Bacon, "It amounts to almost nothing. It is truly hot air." Instead, Bacon expresses his hope that the media will now focus on more pressing issues, saying the NFL has an epidemic of domestic abuse among players that hasn’t received enough attention. According to Bacon, the NFL is also the only national league that doesn't give players a guaranteed contract. Bacon says for players this means that if they were to be injured before their multi-year contract expires they are not guaranteed to be paid for years following their injury. Bacon also takes issue with the NFL's classification as a non-profit, allowing it to not pay taxes,John U. Bacon's Super Bowl highlights http://michiganradio.org/post/john-u-bacons-super-bowl-highlights
20859 as http://michiganradio.orgThu, 05 Feb 2015 21:45:46 +0000John U. Bacon's Super Bowl highlights John U. Bacon When Michael Sam told his University of Missouri teammates he was gay before last season, it wasn’t a big deal. It’s a safe bet that NFL teams – who know what kind of gum their prospects chew – already knew this, too. But when Sam came out publicly, it changed the equation. The NFL has already had gay players, so that’s not new. But publicly declaring you’re gay is new – and so is the onslaught of media attention. After Sam came out, he dropped from a projected fourth- or fifth-rounder to the seventh and final round. Part of the reason was surely homophobia – though that term isn’t accurate. To paraphrase Morgan Freeman, “If you’re homophobic, you’re not afraid of homosexuals. You’re just an A-hole.” But the NFL teams that passed on Sam probably had other reasons, too. Yes, Sam was named defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference, but he’s not a complete player. He’s great at sacking quarterbacks, but not at covering the run. At the NFL Combine, his numbers for speedAdvisers aren't doing Michael Sam any favorshttp://michiganradio.org/post/advisers-arent-doing-michael-sam-any-favors
17715 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 23 May 2014 10:00:00 +0000Advisers aren't doing Michael Sam any favorsSteve CarmodyThe Detroit Lions introduced the team's new head coach today. Jim Caldwell comes to the Lions after being part of two Super Bowl-winning teams. He also led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl in 2010, only to lose to the New Orleans Saints. Caldwell says he’s already talked with Lions players about winning a National Football League championship. "They believe and I believe the time is now,” says Caldwell. “Not two years or three years from now, down the road somewhere, but right in here … right now.” Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand did something unusual during the Caldwell news conference. He talked about another candidate who chose not to pursue the Lions’ head coaching job. Lewand said two candidates met the profile the franchise’s front office set out: Ken Whisenhunt and Jim Caldwell. Whisenhunt opted to take the head coaching job with the Tennessee Titans. But despite that, Lewand insists Jim Caldwell is the man they wanted. “Anyone who thinks we settled for Jim Caldwell'The time is now,' says Detroit Lions' new head coachhttp://michiganradio.org/post/time-now-says-detroit-lions-new-head-coach
16045 as http://michiganradio.orgWed, 15 Jan 2014 22:24:40 +0000'The time is now,' says Detroit Lions' new head coachMark BrushIts not exactly an apples to apples comparison. The Detroit Tigers had just clinched a division title after a long season, and the Detroit Lions had simply won a game, but the two different ways the head coaches of Detroits major sports teams celebrate a win does show something about their personalities. Heres the Jim Leyland moonwalk making the rounds online (You can scroll to 1:25 to see the moonwalk, but his heartfelt thank you to his players, staff, and fans is worth watching. - you can follow this link if the video doesnt load below): &amp;amp;amp;lt;A data-cke-saved-href=&amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/pages/video?videoid=30cac00e-dcc7-42f8-b3c9-bbd9fcd23732&amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication&amp;amp;amp;quot; href=&amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/pages/video?videoid=30cac00e-dcc7-42f8-b3c9-bbd9fcd23732&amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;ampJim Leyland and Jim Schwartz display two ways to celebrate a win for Detroithttp://michiganradio.org/post/jim-leyland-and-jim-schwartz-display-two-ways-celebrate-win-detroit
14618 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 27 Sep 2013 14:27:26 +0000Jim Leyland and Jim Schwartz display two ways to celebrate a win for DetroitStateside StaffStudents in Michigan's public schools are back at their desks. And for young football players, soccer players and other athletes around the state, practice has been happening in earnest for weeks. This will be the first school sports season under Michigan's new sports concussion law. We wanted to find out what it will mean to student athletes, their coaches and their parents. Laura Rowen joined us today. She's an injury prevention consultant with the Michigan Department of Community Health. Listen to the audio above.School sports start with new concussion law in placehttp://michiganradio.org/post/school-sports-start-new-concussion-law-place
14363 as http://michiganradio.orgTue, 10 Sep 2013 20:18:15 +0000School sports start with new concussion law in placeJohn U. Bacon Super Bowl XLVII provided us with thrills, spills and record electric bills – plus a football game somewhere in there. Congratulations! You not only survived that annual orgy of conspicuous consumption called the Super Bowl, you also survived the two weeks of endless stories without news that lead up to the big day. And when the big game arrives, what is our reward? On the one day we actually look forward to watching TV ads, they were so bland and boring and just plain bad, we had no choice but to turn our attention to the actual football game.Super Bowl XLVII: A 20-to-1 ratio of ads to actionhttp://michiganradio.org/post/super-bowl-xlvii-20-1-ratio-ads-action
11141 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 +0000Super Bowl XLVII: A 20-to-1 ratio of ads to actionJohn U. BaconWith Ann Arbor’s own Harbaugh brothers about to square off in the Super Bowl, you’ll probably start to hear lots of stories from the folks who met them along the way. Well, count me in. 'Bo's sons' face off in Super Bowl next Sundayhttp://michiganradio.org/post/bos-sons-face-super-bowl-next-sunday
10925 as http://michiganradio.orgFri, 25 Jan 2013 06:00:00 +0000'Bo's sons' face off in Super Bowl next SundayMichigan Radio NewsroomThe University of Michigan will receive some unusual applicants next year.Several dozen current and former National Football League players are expected to apply to the Ross Business School to learn how to open franchise businesses.Dubbed the "NFL Franchising Boot Camp," the program will educate 30 of these athletes from across the country about the ins and outs of running a food, hotel or fitness chain.During the four-day program this April, former professional football players will stay on the Ann Arbor campus and attend workshops with the school's faculty and business owners.Former NFL players to attend new UM business school programhttp://michiganradio.org/post/former-nfl-players-attend-new-um-business-school-program
10323 as http://michiganradio.orgTue, 11 Dec 2012 23:28:45 +0000Former NFL players to attend new UM business school programMichigan Radio NewsroomA former National Football League player from Michigan filed a lawsuit yesterday against the league and four others for failing to warn him of football-related head injuries, reports the Associated Press. Derrick Walker lives in West Bloomfield, and he began his football career playing for the University of Michigan Wolverines where he served as co-captain in the 80s. Since then, the plaintiff went on to play tight end professionally for the San Diego Chargers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. Over that time period, Walkers lawsuit says he was concussed multiple times which led to memory loss, difficulty concentrating, headaches and difficulty sleeping. Now hes seeking at least $500,000 in damages, reports the Detroit Free Press. Former Wolverine sues NFL, others over head injurieshttp://michiganradio.org/post/former-wolverine-sues-nfl-others-over-head-injuries
8414 as http://michiganradio.orgTue, 24 Jul 2012 18:10:22 +0000Former Wolverine sues NFL, others over head injuriesThe Associated PressFor three quarters, the Detroit Lions performed like playoff veterans. They led Drew Brees and the mighty New Orleans Saints at halftime. They were still right in the game heading to the fourth quarter. But Brees and the Saints blew it open in the final period, turning Detroits postseason return into a one-and-done affair with a 45-28 NFC playoff victory that was much closer most of the night on a raucous Saturday at the Superdome. Having already eclipsed Dan Marinos 27-year-old record for passing yards in a season, Brees turned in his best performance yet by shredding the Lions for 466 yards through the air, the most ever in a playoff game that didnt go to overtime. In all, the teams combined for 1,038 yards, tying a postseason record. New Orleans Saints overpower Detroit Lions to win NFL wildcard playoff http://michiganradio.org/post/new-orleans-saints-overpower-detroit-lions-win-nfl-wildcard-playoff
5689 as http://michiganradio.orgSun, 08 Jan 2012 04:37:43 +0000New Orleans Saints overpower Detroit Lions to win NFL wildcard playoff Steve CarmodyThe city of Detroit could face an economic hit this fall if the National Football League and its players dont agree on a new contract. How big an impact is not clear. The current contract between NFL owners and the players association expires at midnight. Without a deal, Ford Field in Detroit will sit empty during the Lions scheduled pre-season and regular season home games this fall. A study commissioned by the players association says $20 million is spent on average in NFL cities during regular season home games. In some cities, much more is spent. The Christian Science Monitor reports small businesses may pay a big price. Jesse David is a senior vice president with Edgeworth Economics, the company that did the study. David admits people will probably spend money on some form of entertainment, whether or not they go to a game, but they may not spend it in Detroit. It may be that someone else, somewhere else sees their income go upbut theres still going to be an effect on a group ofDetroit's economy could take a hit from an NFL lockouthttp://michiganradio.org/post/detroits-economy-could-take-hit-nfl-lockout
1496 as http://michiganradio.orgThu, 03 Mar 2011 17:25:48 +0000Detroit's economy could take a hit from an NFL lockoutMark BrushUpdate: 10:49 a.m.: The Lions are reporting that due to "overwhelming" response, free tickets to tonight's NFL game at Ford Field are no longer being offered. Update: 12/13/10, 9:30 a.m.: Fans in downtown Detroit are lining up at Ford Field to get free tickets for tonight's NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand said on WJR this morning that there going to work to make sure everyone can be accommodated, "but I think we're going to be a little oversubscribed." In case you haven't seen it yet, the NFL has some impressive video of the Metrodome collapsing. 12/12/10, 12:45 p.m.: The New York Times has put together an interactive before and after photo showing how the roof of the Metrodome deflated after heavy snowfall. The Giants and Vikings were scheduled to play there today. The NFL moved the game to Ford Field and will be played tomorrow night (Monday) at 7:20pm. The Detroit Free Press reports it'll be the "first ever regularVikings - Giants game moves to Detroit after heavy snowfallhttp://michiganradio.org/post/vikings-giants-game-moves-detroit-after-heavy-snowfall
560 as http://michiganradio.orgMon, 13 Dec 2010 15:49:21 +0000Vikings - Giants game moves to Detroit after heavy snowfall